This invention relates to packaging machinery and processes for assembling and packaging medical devices, in particular, the packaging of surgical sutures.
Surgical sutures having needles attached are well known in the medical field. Sutures conventionally used may have one needle attached to the suture strand, or two needles, one on each end. Surgical needles are typically packaged in conventional packages. Such packages typically have sections for receiving the suture and structures conventionally referred to as needle parks for receiving surgical needles.
Most existing packaging processes require that needles be manually placed in needle parks prior to winding or placing sutures in a package. This can result in damage to the needles and sutures, and it is a tedious task that can be fatiguing to the operator. In addition, transportation of needles and attached sutures from a conventional swaging or attachment apparatus to the packaging station results in additional handling and the possibility of in-process damage to needles.
Accordingly, there is a need for novel improved processes and apparatuses for automatically placing needles in needle parks.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus and method to mechanically connect a needle swaging operation with a loading and winding and packaging machine, thereby eliminating the in-process inventory of conventional felt lined trays and carts described hereinbelow, and minimizing the chances for mixing product and subjecting it to contamination and damage from extra handling steps.
It is yet another object of the present invention to reduce the skill and potential for ergonomic stress of an operator by mechanizing the task of needle insertion into the package needle-park.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to improve suture packaging machine efficiency and production output by removing the tedious task of manual needle insertion into a needle-park, and to minimize interruption thereof from mis-loads and operator fatigue.
Accordingly, a machine or apparatus that receives swaged needle suture assemblies from a manual swaging operator, automatically loads needles into surgical suture package needle-parks, and transports these partial assemblies to a packaging machine operator is disclosed. A plurality of the machines may optionally link several swaging stations to one packaging machine in order to balance production rates. An optional mechanical belt conveyor is configured to transport packages with needles pre-loaded from the swaging presses and apparatuses of the present invention to the machine loading station. The conveyor also providing a buffering function to smooth imbalances of the production rate compared to the winding machine. The apparatus of the present invention for loading surgical needles into surgical suture packages has a machine frame. There is a needle block member having a top surface and a bottom surface, the needle block member is slidably mounted to the frame. A plurality of needle guide members extend up from the top surface of the needle block member, the guide members are spaced apart to receive at least one surgical needle. The needle guide members have contact surfaces, and the guide members are additionally spaced apart to receive at least one needle park. A shuttle member is slidably mounted to the frame for engaging and moving a suture package. A pick-up head is slidably mounted to the frame for picking up the package from the shuttle member, and contacting the package with the needle block member such that the needle park of the package is located between the needle guide members. The pick-up head is moveable horizontally as well as vertically. Preferably the pick-up head has a vacuum cavity.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method of loading a surgical needle into a needle park of a surgical suture package using the above-described apparatus.
These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.